CHAPTER THREE
--The Nemesis--
Bumblebee ducked as a volley of rockets came after him, fired from the launchers on Brawl's shoulders. Nearby, Bulkhead was wresting with Lugnut, while Ironhide fired his cannons in vain at the latter's back.
The yellow Autobot looked up in time to see Brawl looming over him. He quickly rolled away as the Decepticon brought his fist down, creating a small crater into the spot Bumblebee had just been. Growling angrily, Brawl transformed into his tank mode and swiveled his turret to aim at Bumblebee.
Before the Decepticon could fire, Ironhide was suddenly on top of him. Brawl swung his turret to shake the Autobot off but failed. Ironhide then bended the tank's barrel to aim at Lugnut and jerked it to fire. The violet Decepticon was sent flying into a wall.
As Bulkhead turned his sights on Brawl, Ironhide jumped away in time as the large green Autobot swung his wrecking ball at the tank and pummeled it into the ground.
"Not bad, kid," Ironhide said to Bulkhead, slapping him on the back. "Now let's get a move on."
Bulkhead beamed at the veteran's praise before helping Bumblebee up. As they continued down the Nemesis' corridor, Ironhide contacted Optimus on his communicator.
"Prime, what's your status? We're nearing the lift to the bridge."
"Same here," Optimus responded. "We had a run-in with Blitzwing, but we'll be joining you shortly."
"Good to know. Ironhide, out."
Once he had ended the connection, Bumblebee said, "Does anyone else feel this is all a bit... easy? I mean, Lugnut and Brawl are usually tougher than that. And we haven't run into any Vehicons besides those two earlier...."
Ironhide gave him a bemused look. "Are you seriously complaining about us not getting into trouble?"
Bumblebee shook his head. "No, not at all. It's just that--"
"Forget it," the veteran Autobot said curtly. "Just focus on the mission."
* * *
Discarding the stolen communicator, Soundwave looked down on the unconscious forms of Optimus Prime, Arcee, and Ratchet. Blitzwing had made remarkable short work of them, though it helped that Soundwave had manipulated elements of the corridor they were in from the bridge to give the irrational Decepticon some leverage.
Returning to his station, Soundwave viewed his monitor before saying to Megatron, "The other three Autobots are nearing the bridge."
"Let them come," Megatron said calmly as he prepared his fusion cannon.
Turning from his own station, Knock Out gave his leader a wry look. "You say that as if you planned for this to happen, my liege."
"For the Autobots to appear on this ship? No. I hardly expected it." Megatron then grinned heartlessly. "But improvisation is a strategist's greatest weapon."
--Gorlam Prime--
Elita One, her team, and Rollbar ascended the steps that led up to the doors of Centurion Tower. According to Rollbar, it was from here which Sentinel Prime and his Council of Ancients ruled Gorlam Prime. As they walked into the entrance chamber, Nightbeat began to slow his pace.
"I know this place," he murmured.
The other stopped to give him surprised looks. "Do you?" Windblade asked.
Nightbeat slowly nodded, albeit with uncertainty. "It just seems... familiar. I just... can't put my finger on it."
Rollbar smiled. "Well, Sentinel Prime did request that some of the buildings in this city to resemble those on Cybertron. In fact, it is Sentinel's desire to create a new Cybertron from Gorlam Prime."
Glyph looked at him curiously. "Why?"
His expression darkened. "We have heard and seen what your war has done to Cybertron. Needless to say, we are appalled by it."
"Don't blame us for it," Strongarm muttered. "It was the Decepticons who started it all."
Rollbar shook his head. "It doesn't matter to us who fired the first shot. Both factions are responsible for continuing to wage it."
Before any of the Autobots could object to his statement, Rollbar continued down the main hall. Elita and her group followed, even more wary of him....
--The Nemesis--
Optimus Prime awoke to the last face he wanted to see today.
Grinning down at him, Megatron said, "Did you have a nice nap, Prime?"
"Go to blazes," Optimus retorted.
Megatron laughed harshly. "That's no way to talk to your brother."
Optimus wanted to lash out at him but the stasis cuffs on him prevented him from doing so. "Stop calling yourself my brother! He died long ago and you replaced him!"
The Decepticon leader merely grinned. "Keep telling yourself that, brother. What ever helps you sleep comfortably."
As Megatron walked away, Optimus saw that he was not alone on the Nemesis' bridge; Arcee, Ratchet, and the others were also restrained, watched over by Thundercracker and Skywarp. Despaired by the fact that he had led his comrades to this, Optimus hung his head in shame.
"Don't look away now, Prime," Megatron called to him from his command chair. "I want you to witness my triumph."
"What are you talking about?" Optimus asked, lifting his head up.
His response came when a metal sphere came into the ship's view as the Nemesis exited hyperspace.
Cybertron?! he thought in alarm.
"Shall I begin the broadcast now, my liege?" Soundwave asked Megatron.
The Decepticon leader shook his head, resting comfortably in his seat. "We wait for our cue. Then, we take the stage."
--Cybertron--
Hundreds of optics were glued to the large screen that dominated the facade of the Great Dome of Iacon. The broadcast which played on it was being played on all viewscreens across Cybertron; it was mandatory to notice it.
"People of Cybertron," said the telecast's main focus, Shockwave. "We have given you time to mend your wounds, bury your dead, and recover from the damages done by our war. But now, the inevitable outcome cannot be avoided.
"Exactly one hundred and thirteen years ago-- to this day-- your beloved Optimus Prime departed Cybertron in the hopes of finding the AllSpark and reclaiming your home-- our home's lost glory. And he never returned. I'm sure a few of you lost faith, but the majority clung onto the belief that he would return to you, cradling the AllSpark in his arms, and bring forth a new Golden Age.
"Feast your optical sensors, then, on your iconic leader, your paragon of virtue."
The scene then changed, revealing a defeated, vulnerable Optimus Prime sitting pathetically against a wall. Everyone bearing witness to this fell silent, robbed of words and hope.
"Tell me now," Shockwave spoke again, narrating over the scene, "do you still see this Autobot as the face of your new Golden Age? Do you still see yourself following his lead, taking whatever road he chooses even if it leads straight towards oblivion? Do you still cling onto the hope that was never there to begin with?"
The screen shifted focus again, this time displaying the cunning visage of Megatron.
"You may hate Megatron for the atrocities he has committed. But they were measures that needed to be taken, so that you would see the truth."
This time, the scene changed to that of Alpha Trion, the wisest of all Autobots, restrained to a crimson chair, with four imposing Decepticon surrounding him.
"You have one hour to relinquish Cybertron to the Decepticon Empire. Failure to do so by that time will see to the gruesome, televised demises of Alpha Trion and Optimus Prime, the symbols of your futile hope, as well as the forceful invasion of your home.
"One hour."
Then, with that reminded, all of the screens went out, as did any hope the Autobots had left.
No comments:
Post a Comment